Priceless
by Lolcouches
Summary: Our young protagonist, Jill, is doing her absolute best to fit into her new town and get used to farm life. Despite her efforts, a certain silver haired thief is making the process exceedingly difficult... (bad summary, better story. JillxSkye)
1. Humble Beginnings

"You have got to be kidding me." I turned to the short, balding man in a top hat to my right as I examined my newly inherited property. The house was small and dilapidated, the pink paint peeling in places which I could only assume is from years of baking in the hot, Forget-Me-Not Valley sun.

Thomas wiped his brow and gave me a cheeky grin, "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have a nice farm in Mineral Town?" He chuckled, obviously very pleased with himself, but cleared his throat upon noticing my icy glare. "Sorry."

"Yeah, yeah whatever." I brushed it off. He was right, this wasn't exactly the picture I had in mind when I was called up on the phone and told I owned the place.

After a quick tour of the pastures, stable, and shipping box Thomas gave me my tools and a bag of turnip seeds. "I really should be getting back to Mineral Town. It was nice meeting you - good luck, Jill." He inched towards the exit, eager to get back to his own town.

I'd crouched near the edge of the field and dug my gloved hand into the dirt. "I think," I mused, letting the parched soil slip through my fingers "I'm going to need a little more than luck. But thank you."

I stood up and checked the sun's position in the sky: it was still early, so I decided to delve in. I hunched over a small patch of land for a few hours, tilling the land, planting and watering the seeds given to me earlier as well as picking up some of the branches and rocks strewn about. While the tasks completed weren't that physically taxing, my naturally fair skin was now pink and my arms awfully jello like.

"I could go introduce myself to the neighbors." I thought aloud, glancing over at the old dog that came with the place. "That's just as productive." My voice was hardly confident; I don't even think the dog bought it, but any more labor would be a shock to my system.

I took a right out of my place and plodded up the cobblestone walkway not sure who to talk to first, not knowing who was even home or not. I'd wanted to return to my roots, experience what my father and family members before had but with every reflective surface I passed, I was losing confidence. My hair which I'd combed neatly this morning was now pulled back and messy, and clothes were covered in dirt.

Maybe I should have considered that before making my first appearance. Maybe I should turn back around.

It was just starting to get late, and the colors of the waning sun reflected brilliantly off of a flight marble stairs at the end of the path. My curiosity outweighed my self consciousness, and I decided to see what was at the top of them. With each tentative step upwards I was rewarded a better view of what I can only describe as the most lavish manor I'd ever seen. Upon reaching the top, I was in awe.

The Victorian style mansion was nestled against the forest with a grand fountain out front. I walked towards it, sitting down on the edge to take in the view when the front door opened and a figure slipped out. Feeling embarrassed for trespassing unintentionally, I stood up immediately and spoke to whomever was there. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to gawk like that, I didn't even know-"

"What's a beautiful girl like yourself walking all alone for?" The words fell from his lips gracefully but with purpose; his voice rich like chocolate. I was silenced momentarily, thrown off by not only the boldness of this stranger, but by his attire as well. He wore what could only be described as purple women's skinny jeans with a leopard print button up(clothes that hugged his lanky figure better than any woman I'd ever seen!). His silver hair hid part of his pale face and brushed the top of his shoulders, his cool expression and piercing green eyes unnerving me as he came closer.

"I'm, uh, just out introducing myself to the townspeople." I ignored the 'beautiful' comment and held out a hand; feeling extremely uncomfortable. "Hi, I'm Jill and I just moved into the plot of land a little farther down."

He leaned in closer and spoke once more, every syllable dripping with enticement. "And I'm the Prince of stars. Put here for all of the maidens to love."

I raised my eyebrows and cracked a sky grin and attempted to hide the apathy in my voice. "Is that so?" Is this guy serious? The mystery man was just starting to pique my interest when the door to the mansion was flung open. A rather petite girl with short, mousey brown hair and the eyes of a doe pointed at him.

"**You**!" She squeaked, her voice resembling that of Minnie Mouse's and her face as red as a tomato. "You're the famous thief who warns his victims!" My jaw slackened and eyes widened as I turned to face the outlaw I'd been conversing with prior.

His eyes flickered from her to me. "I really think I should be going now."

He hadn't taken one step towards the exit when the other woman fired back at him with a burning vengeance. "You need to stop stealing from this town. We're hard working people!"

With a subtle flip of his hair and a well aimed wink in her direction, the man simply replied "You have a beautiful face, you shouldn't spoil it with such raw anger." And off he went. Down the stairs and into the greenery.

She chased after him, of course, muttering about what a "smooth talker" the man was. Only after she had recovered from the crippling effects of his compliments and the harsh realization that he was gone did she finally realize I was there. She whipped back to face me with contempt, simply fuming. "Are you an accomplice of his?"

I waved my arms and spoke frantically. "No no no! I'm Jill, I just moved in and I came up to introduce myself and I bumped into him I have no idea who he even is!" I took a breath. "Seriously."

Her expression softened. "Ohmygosh, I am so embarrassed, I didn't mean to accuse you like that." She put her small hands to her cheeks and shook her head in disbelief. "I'm Lumina, the real resident of this place. And I'm not usually like that. It's just. That thief..." She sighed and trailed off before offering me her hand to shake, which I took.

"It's nice to meet you."

I laughed. "It's nice to meet you too! That was a rather eventful first encounter, I guess." I tucked a stray strand of hair and paused before asking in a smaller voice. "Who even was that guy?"

She looked at me like I'd been living under a rock. "Oh, you _really_ don't know?"

I looked down at my boots bashfully, feeling my cheeks heat up. "Other than what I just found out? No, but the leopard print must mean he's important." I joked, but Lumina just shook her head, linked her arm with mine and started walking me towards her house.

"Oh, Jill... That's Phantom Skye."


	2. Breaking Barriers

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

I opened up my eyes groggily. What in Goddess' name is making that noise? Turning over to investigate further, I discovered it was my alarm clock, much to my dismay. 6 AM. Up and at em'.

_Beep. Beep. BEEP._

I brought my hand down on the device mercilessly, the damn thing just seemed to get louder the longer I laid in bed. I'd been at the whole farming thing for a week or so now, but while I had grown somewhat accustomed to the physical aspect of it, my internal clock had a different agenda.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, swinging my legs to the side of the bed and bracing myself before putting weight on them. The second I did, the dry ache of muscle fatigue returned, but it was getting better. After changing out of my pajamas, I walked over to the mirror.

I prodded at the bags under my bright blue eyes and sighed. Fixing my hair into a ponytail had become a normal thing lately; let's face it, farmers don't have time for aesthetics. With my hair pulled back and my clothes (ill-fitting as they may be) on, I bent over to lace up my working boots. Back to work.

I opened my door and took a step outside, pausing for a minute to cast a prideful glance out to my field. What a week earlier had been filled with trash and weeds was now home to rows of fully grown turnip plants. I practically skipped over to them, giddy to finally see the literal fruits of my labor. I spent the rest of my morning ripping the fully grown turnips from the earth and transferring them to the shipping bin; all the while mentally counting the gold I had coming my way. When 5 o'clock finally came around, I beamed at the always reluctant Thomas as he counted my crops.

"Well, well. These look pretty okay." His voice failed to hide his blatant apathy despite his efforts as he held out to me my payment.

"Pretty okay? I can live with that." I snatched it up, grinning at him earnestly. "Thank you, Thomas!" The stout man merely grunted in response, but I was already halfway off of my property. I shoved the money into my rucksack roughly, bringing my feet down on the pavement quickly and repeatedly all while ignoring the burn in my calves. I made a left at the river, jogging up the gentle slope until I'd reached the pond.

The first time I stumbled upon the secluded area, I realized why the locals referred to it as Goddess Pond. It was a place so beautiful that it only seemed fit that the divine would dwell there. The scene looked like something from a watercolor painting; the colors all so vivid, whether it be the brilliant cerulean water or the peculiar cyan flowers that only seemed to grow there. The pond itself was small and circular, but was dwarfed even further by the grand oak tree located only a few feet away. I ran my fingers over the rough bark before taking a seat under its leafy canopy.

I'll be the first one to admit that I am in no way religious, and it would be a lie if I said I bought into the local folk tale that a Goddess truly dwelled in those crystal clear waters, but being here brought me peace of mind that I've never experienced before. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and rested the back of my head against the tree and smiled to myself, the rest of my work could wait a little longer.

. . . . .

"Out all by yourself again, gorgeous?"

My eyes snapped open and I sat up abruptly, looking around for the only person whose voice that could be. It was dark out, how long had I been asleep? I stood up and felt for the tree behind me before responding, making sure to lay the snark on extra thick. "Oi, I'm just a broke farmer and have no valuables on me. You can drop the act now, 'prince'."

Skye laughed and I heard the grass crunch beneath his feet, I was just getting used to the dark but I could barely make out his figure walking towards me. "Lovely Jill, what act could you possibly be referring to? If I were here to steal your riches, you'd have received a note."

I rolled my eyes. I'd completely forgotten that his ego was so massive it carried over into his line of work, or lack there of. "That's awful cocky, don't you think?" I muttered, pressing myself against the trunk further. "Then what are you doing here, if it's not to rob me blind?"

He'd reached me by then, a low chuckle escaping his lips. "I'm cocky? You're the one who assumes just because I left my hideout it's to see you." He cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms, a crooked smirk plastered on his face all the while. "I do have a life outside of thievery, you know."

I looked down at the ground, blushing furiously for making assumptions. "Sorry."

He waved it off and walked out from under the tree, the moonlight making him completely visible now. He was wearing the same outfit as before, but in a slightly different color. "I come here some nights because everyone in town is sound asleep in their beds by then." His eyes flickered back to me before correcting himself. "Almost everyone."

I rubbed the back of my head, not understanding how someone who looked that ridiculous could make me feel like an idiot. "You know," I started. "you ought to be nicer to someone who could turn you in to the police." I shuffled out from under the tree, locking eyes with him before sitting down a few good yards away.

"And you should dress better for someone with such a great figure." I felt his eyes rake over me as he retorted and my face heated up again. I grabbed a nearby stick and tossed it at him while he roared with laughter, but my aim was way off. "I'm kidding!" He pleaded, shielding his face. "Partially kidding."

I pouted for a moment, but a small smile replaced my pursed lips. "You know, for someone who walks around in women's pants you have an awful lot to say about fashion. Do you own a mirror, or are those not on your contraband wish list?" I threw my head back and laughed until my stomach hurt, the sound resembling the chiming of bells in a way. Wiping the tears from my eyes and trying to regain my composure, I noticed he was staring at me. I straightened up. "What?"

"You're pretty when you laugh." His voice was soft, no longer the alluring tone he'd used when I first met him. We looked at each other for a moment, his pale face completely in contrast with his almond-shaped green eyes; I felt my expression soften. It was then that I remembered I was exchanging playful banter with the man most despised in all Forget-Me-Not Valley. Not to mention the fact that romantic moonlit setting or not, he'd rather have my wallet than phone number.

I stood up again, smoothing my clothes out the best that I could. "I'm going to get out of here before someone catches me with Public Enemy #1." I announced, turning my back to him and starting on the path back home.

"Au revoir, fair maiden! We'll meet again," He called after me as I treaded carefully down the hill and out of his sight. "It's in the stars."

I hurried home feeling morally conflicted. I felt ashamed for enjoying my conversation with Skye, despite its brevity. Farm life was a lonely one: by the time I finished work everyone was usually at home and settling in, and it had been a few days since I'd been able to talk to Lumina or any of the other girls. Was it that awful to crave someone's company, even if it's someone with such a shady occupation?

When I reached my humble abode, I locked the door behind me(just in case) and trudged over to my tiny, twin sized bed. I was way too tired to be bothered to change out of my work clothes and ended up just falling onto the bed. I was laying there, just teetering on he edge of consciousness when I shot up. The gold in my rucksack. He wouldn't have.

I dumped the contents of the bag out onto my bed, counting the money. Once. Twice. Three times, even. I rubbed my eyes and shook my head in utter disbelief: it was all there, every last coin. Guilt swept over me immediately for jumping to conclusions, but was I really all that bad for assuming renowned thief might steal from me? I returned the money to its rightful place and laid back down, feeling even more conflicted.

I arched my back and stretched, my eyelids feeling far too heavy to keep them open for any longer. I turned over and pulled the thick, woolen covers over my head and contemplated the 'Phantom Skye' until I drifted out of consciousness.

_Everyone deserves somebody, don't they?_


	3. No New Tricks

I sat by the window and gazed dreamily outside, the soft pitter patter of rain hitting the roof coaxing me away from reality. Lady Marmalade, former elderly stray dog and current woman's best friend, was strewn across my lap despite her being much too big. I sighed. When I got up this morning I was absolutely thrilled to discover that the pouring rain had made it impossible for me to do my daily chores, but as I sit here now I can't help but feel purposeless.

I nudged Lady gently in hopes that she'd move, which she did with much groaning and reluctance. I stood up and stretched, picking my brain for things to do on such a dreary day. "I could run over to the mines, Goddess knows Flora's been badgering me about it for weeks." I turned around seeking the approval of my audience only to find her nose deep in a bowl of kibble.

I crossed my arms and furrowed my brow. As warm as that dumb dog kept my feet at night, it did not make up for the fact that she was an awful listener. I nibbled at my bottom lip and considered my options. The mine and The Blue Bar were really the only places that I could go to, and it was only 10 AM: it didn't seem appropriate to start drinking so early. On the other hand, the mine was a pretty long walk away, and I might get roped into one of Carter's stories about his ancestors...

I opened the door and took a step out, being met immediately by a few raindrops on my head. The sensible thing to do would have been to turn around and get an umbrella, but what sensible girl would move out into the middle of no where to run a farm? I dashed down the slick cobblestone road, praying that I wouldn't slip and break my neck on the way to the bar. I exhaled a sigh of relief upon my arrival, flinging the door open and shuffling into the heated room.

"Good Goddess, Jilll!" A shrill voice cried out. Muffy ran over to me, the sound of her heels in the hardwood resembling the sound of a galloping horse. "What is wrong with you? You'll catch a cold running about in that rain."

"Easy, Seabiscuit." The joke went right over her pretty blonde head, but I heard her mustachioed counterpart chuckle from behind the bar. "I'll be fine, I just needed something to do on a rainy day. Sorry about dripping on your floors, Griffin." I shivered a little bit and I'm assuming Muffy took this as a cue to go grab a towel or three.

"You came at a weird time, Jilly." Griffin's gruff voice sounded exhausted. I approached the bar, taking a seat on a stool and leaning against the counter.

"What's the matter, Griff? Not gonna serve me a drink because of how early it is? The alcoholic in me is severely disappointed." I gave him a genuine smile, but he just shook his head.

"Before you got here we received a letter from that Phantom Skye: apparently around midnight tonight, he's going to grace our bar with his presence." Griffin mumbled angrily, wiping down the counter.

I let out a small laugh. "Yep, that sounds about right." I smiled to myself, but then cleared my throat. My strange reaction to his news earning a suspicious look from Griffin, but it was just then that Muffy reappeared. She shuffled through the door, with a stack of fluffy white towels pressed against her bust and flashed me a grin.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit impressed. I like a man with confidence." The gaze of her green orbs shifted from me to Griffin momentarily. "But he won't be taking anything from us." She spoke rather confidently herself, her golden curls swaying with every step she took towards me.

"Come on, Jill. Let me take you up to my room and we'll get you dried off." She placed a petite hand on my arm and nodded towards the room from where she'd just come.

"Oh, no I'm fine. I wouldn't want to be an inconvenience." I shook my head and took a small step backwards only to be followed by the vivacious blonde.

"It wouldn't be an inconvenience, really!" She stuck her bottom lip out. "And if you really feel that way, you could always stay and help us out with our little problem in return..." Her face shifted from pitiful to mischievous and I just rolled my eyes.

"Fine, fine. Let's go." She squealed and tugged on my still thoroughly soaked sleeve.

"Go easy on her, Muffy." Griffin called out apathetically.

Out of the main bar and up the stairs we went, all the while Muffy talking my ear off about Skye. "I found the letter when I opened up this morning and I was just like, there is no way. But when I brought it to Griffin he flipped out so there had to be some validity to it. He has an awful lot of nerve, you know?" She opened the door to her room, still bubbling over with enthusiasm, and I stood in the doorway for a moment.

However bland the bar may seem, Muffy's room was the exact opposite. On all the plain white walls were posters or pictures; the windows home to pink lacy drapes and the old wooden floor barely visible underneath her plush, rose colored rug. She walked over to her twin sized bed and gestured for me to take a seat, to which I obeyed. I sunk onto the soft comforter, running my fingers over the small flowers sewn into it.

She tossed me the towels. "Strip down and dry off."

"You haven't even bought me dinner yet."

She stomped her foot like that of a child and whined. "Jill!"

All I could do was groan and acquiesce to her wishes. "Fiiiine, turn around." When I was sure she had, I grabbed the hem of my damp shirt and pulled it up over my head and tossing it to the floor with a subtle flick of my wrist; only when it hit did I then repeat the process with my pants. "This is still weird by the way, even if we are both girls."

I'm sure she would have retorted with something clever if she hadn't disappeared into her closet. I stood up and wrapped a towel around myself, using another one to dry my hair. She tossed a pair of soffe shorts and a slim fit t-shirt out to me. "Muffy..." I began, in a cautious tone.

"Oh no no don't you start with me, missy." She giggled and reappeared, twisting her golden pin curls with an index finger. "I'll have you in one of these dresses so quickly you won't even know what hit you." She took her free hand and gestured down to her sequined, skin-tight red dress.

"I'll stick with what I have, but thank you." My voice was venomous, but I waited until she had turned around again to shimmy into the clothes I'd been permitted to borrow. They were soft on my skin and smelled faintly of lilies; but most importantly, they were warm. "Alright," I said, putting my hair back up. "I'm decent."

Muffy turned back around and gasped melodramatically, clasping her hands together. "Who would have thought there was such a babe under all of those layers?"

I held back a groan and instead offered a bashful smile. "No clue." She beamed at me, very pleased with herself, and we headed back downstairs. The bar stayed closed the rest of the day in preparation of the imminent break in, so we spent the hours chit chatting and listening to Griffin's guitar, drinking only a little.

I was sitting cross-legged on floor with Muffy when Griffin approached us. "It's 12:15, it seems our thief is running a little late." He scratched the back of his head and Muffy leapt up to hug him.

"I guess we did it!" She squealed, "He should have been here by now, right? Maybe us being here scared him off."

I stood up and joined the conversation. "I don't think so, it wouldn't be like him to not make an appearance." We stood there in momentarily, pondering what the felon's lateness could mean. It was just then that we were hit by a wave of an overwhelming, spicy aroma.

"Is that... Curry?" Muffy's button nose scrunched up, her face housing one of the most confused expressions I've ever seen.

"Where is that coming from?" Griffin demanded. "Is that him? Could he be in the back rooms already, or in one of our rooms?"

The two of them exchanged a grave look before turning on their heels and storming through the back door, leaving me all alone in the main entryway. Almost immediately after the door had clicked shut behind them did the front door creak open, a cool breeze assisting the scent of curry waft through the room. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I turned to face the intruder.

Skye slunk through the open door in his usual attire, his green eyes wide and anxious. His expression shifted to cool and collected once he saw me standing there, leaning against the doorway and flashing me a small smile. "Jill." He mused, sauntering into the bar and raising his eyebrows at me. "You look especially radiant tonight; I didn't think you'd take my beauty tips so seriously."

He gestured towards my irregular attire and I scoffed. "I borrowed a spare change of clothes so I didn't catch a cold, don't flatter yourself." I tugged at the hem on my shoulder, suddenly hyper aware of how I looked.

"Fiery as always, I see." He chuckled quietly and gave me another once over. "I do seem to keep bumping into you, however. Could it be that we're destined for each other?" He narrowed his eyes and continued staring into my own.

I used a soft voice and maintained eye contact. "What do you know about destiny?" I kept my face non-confrontational, but as I felt my pulse speed up and heat rush to my face I wondered how long I could keep up this facade.

After what seemed like a lifetime, a wide grin pulled at the corner of the thief's pale lips. "How I love hearing such things from a beautiful maiden." He sighed, holding his arm out towards me. "But as much as you amuse me, dear Jill, I have a feeling that you won't stand aside and let me do my bidding tonight. Maiden Chick Beam: fire!"

I stood there feeling more confused than anything. Had he just tried to cast a spell on me? "What in Goddess' name was that?" I spat, offended.

Skye, on the other hand was already behind me and out of sight. I could hear him going through the cabinets, speaking in a terribly unamused tone. "You should be able to move again when I'm finished."

I didn't understand what he was talking about until I tried to walk over there. I tried telling my legs to move like I always had, but there was something gone wrong in my nervous system and so I stood there motionless. It was a strange feeling, and definitely the most I've struggled in my entire life without actually struggling.

"This is real. This is a real thing that's happening." I breathed out, and Skye just laughed. "Will you please just be quiet back there and finish the job? Muffy and Griffin could be back any minute you know."

"Glad to know you're concerned about my well-being, darling, but I'll be fine." You could tell he was entertained by my helplessness even though you couldn't see him: his voice conveyed his glee from well across the room.

I fired back defensively. "I would hardly call myself concerned. Why do you even do this? Why steal from people who make an honest living instead of just doing the same yourself?"

He just continued laughing and laughing, the bottles of alcohol clinking as he rummaged through them. "I cast a spell on you and you try to give me a therapy session? Jill darling, you are something quite special."

His condescending tone stung, even though I'd never admit it. "I'm serious, Skye. Why do you do it? What's your motive?" I questioned again, sounding more wounded than earnest.

The clinking stopped momentarily and all humor in the man's decadent voice faded away. "There's no use, Jill. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. I'm set in my ways." My heart sank to my stomach in the moment of silence that followed.

His teasing voice returned as he pulled something from the cabinets. "The day you catch me is the day I'll try and change." I remained silent and heard footsteps approaching from the other room.

"Looks like I'm out of time." His voice stayed calm as he hurried past me and slid through the front door. "See you another time, gorgeous." He whispered, the door closing behind him.

"He didn't touch anything in my room, that's for sure." Muffy assured her partner. "I checked everything."

"Nothing was off in my room either." Griffin added, a touch of confusion to his tone. "Where the hell is that smell coming from?"

"Jill?" Muffy froze in her tracks, taking notice of my odd stance and apparent fixation on the front of the room. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Skye just froze me here so he could steal a bottle from the back." My voice was nonchalant but I was getting tired standing there.

I heard the clacking of heels against hardwood flooring and in an instant Muffy was in front of me trying to move my arms. "Oh my Goddess, you're right!"

"Funny how that works out." I replied dryly.

"The Okuhattan is gone," Griffin called out from behind the bar, presumably "but nothing else seems to be missing."

"That is _so_ frustrating!" Muffy stomped her foot and crossed her arms, sinking down onto a bar stool next to me. "We fell right into his trap."

"Could be worse, Muffs." Griffin came into view and put a large hand on her shoulder, looking at me. "I'm really glad you're okay, Jill."

Some awkward chit-chat ensued until I regained the ability to move again. The two offered me a place to stay the night, but I declined. I spent the entire walk home and a good amount of time lying in bed thinking through one question: how do you go about catching a person?

Does he even want to be caught?

_**Author's Note:**__ sorry for the delay, it's a longer chapter and I've been busy the past few days. Regardless, enjoy and I'll try to be more attentive for future chapters! _


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